Portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
"There was a terrible train crash, and then there was a controlled burn of toxic chemicals that went into the atmosphere," Vance said in a video announcement posted to social media, alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya.
"What happened then is that people got very worried. I've been to East Palestine a number of times, and they're very worried about what are the long-term impacts of these chemicals in the water, in the air. What effect does it have on their kids and grandkids after five years, 10 years, 15 years of exposure?"
Vance pointed the finger at the former Biden administration, claiming it "refused to do anything" to study the long-term health effects of the train crash for the residents of East Palestine.
Last month, communications uncovered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request allegedly showed the Biden administration was aware of the serious health risks posed by the toxic spill despite reassuring the public there was no evidence of significant chemical contamination.
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President Joe Biden tours the East Palestine Recovery Site Feb. 16, 2024, in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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"As a senator, it was incredibly frustrating watching the Biden administration refuse to examine the potentially dangerous health impacts on the people of East Palestine following the train derailment," Vance added. "I'm proud that we finally have a new president that takes the concerns of everyday, working-class people seriously."
According to Bhattacharya, research for the initiative is expected to begin this fall.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-launches-10m-health-study-east-palestine-residents-following-toxic-spill